Birat Anupam, Itahari, Feb 28:  Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Purna Chandra Thapa has inaugurated the first military hospital in east part of the country here in Itahari at the premises of East Division Headquarters of Nepal Army today morning.    

Financed by Army Welfare Fund, Military Hospital is the third standard military hospital outside Kathmandu, informed COAS General Thapa. ''We have already constructed similar military hospitals in Pokhara, Nepalgunj'', stated COAS Thapa in his brief address to attendees of the formal function, ''This will reduce the crowd in Birendra Military Hospital in Kathmandu and will make it easy for military personnel and their family members of this region.''

COAS General Thapa said satellite hospitals were also being constructed in Dhangadhi and Bardibas.    

He said military hospitals outside federal capital Kathmandu were constructed heeding calls by former army soldiers in order to treat them and their immediate dependent family members. ''Now gone are the days to visit Kathmandu for minor treatments and buy some prescribed medicines'', said COAS Gneral Thapa. He urged all to make all retired army soldiers and their relatives known about the newly constructed hospital in Itahari.    

The construction of the 50-bed military hospital was started on 1 January 2017 and was accomplished on 1 December 2018. The hospital, spanned around 30 thousand square meters of area, is the project of Rs. 160 million, informed Nischal Jung Rayamajhi, the construction engineer of the hospital. ''The two-storied building, access roads and all other associated infrastructures are included in this budget'', said Rayamajhi.    

The hospital will have multiple medical facilities like emergency, pathology, endoscopy, ultrasound, X-Ray, physiotherapy, general OPD, dispensary, among others, said officials of East Division Headquarters. The two-storied hospital has intensive care unit, isolated ward, male and female ward, post-operative ward, gynae operation theater, surgical operation theater, main operation theater and the likes.    

''Our hospital has 77 medical staffs including 13 experienced doctors'', informed Dr. Ushab Rana Mohsin, the Commanding Officer who has accomplished MBBS and MD in Respiratory Medicine.    

Currently only open for serving and retired army soldiers and their immediate dependent family members, Military Hospital Itahari will be serving general public, said Laxmi Gautam, the deputy mayor of Itahari. ''I have talked to COAS Thapa about it and he was positive'', said Gautam who was also present at the inaugural function.    

Previously only equipped with 25-bed Itahari Hospital, with the functioning of Military Hospital Itahahari, now, Itahari has got two standard hospitals.